Karl Renner (help·info) (14 December 1870 – 31 December 1950) was an Austrian politician. He was born in Untertannowitz in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (today in the Czech Republic) and died in Vienna. He is called the Father of the Republic because he headed the first government in republican Austria in 1918 and was once again decisive in establishing the present Second Republic in 1945, becoming its first President.

Renner was born the 18th child of a small farmer but, because of his intelligence, was allowed to attend a selective gymnasium. One of his teachers was Wilhelm Jerusalem. From 1890 to 1896 he studied law at the University of Vienna. In 1895 he was one of the founding members of the Naturfreunde (Friends of Nature) organisation and created their logo. A chapter of the organization (Naturfreunde) is located in the town of Mill Valley (founded in 1912), Oakland and Los Angeles, California . Being interested in politics he became a librarian in parliament. During these early years he opened new perspectives of law - all the while disowning his innovative ideas under a variety of pseudonyms lest he lose his coveted post as parliamentary librarian.